Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without an online account
Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without an online account
Here's your bypass:
In OOBE, go through MS account creation. Tell it you were born today. It'll let you set a password for the MS account before rejecting you due to COPA requirements. At this point, you can make an offline account without having even created an MS account, let alone having to use one.
This will not go away - it's a legal thing. MS doesn't want to deal with COPA stuff for very young kids, so this flow exists. Enjoy.
This is the rule for any account or mobile game, too - if it asks your age before asking for consent to farm, put any age below 13. It'll either not farm you because it's illegal or it'll kick you out. If the latter, good riddance really
Back in my day, we had to make ourselves looks older online to get things, not younger! hehe
What if they just ask your age as step 1 of the setup?
Same thing, that doesn't change anything.
Lol it's been great getting off of Windows over the last few months.
I thought I would miss it, but Proton in Steam has been amazing on Ubuntu, with some exceptions (Stupid EA crap from skate. 2025).
Dual booting for now is OK, but gaming is pretty garbage anyway, so I will probably abandon Windows entirely soon. Definitely my last version of it. Feel so liberated having hobbies off computer anyway, and now using my computers with Ubuntu is actually enjoyable again instead of driving an expensive spy machine.
:)
At this point they'll restrict access to the registry.
i wonder if they could make a read-only config partition like with macos
This "subscription" mentality is ruining value for a lot of society but, holy shit, do you ever rake in those huge amounts of monthly cash, for very little work.
It's not our mentality, it's their strategy.
Wars breed new strategies.
Sometimes it's free trade as a carrot and embargo as a stick, like with, well, one can try to nail it to Napoleonic wars, but as old as life. Sometimes it's mass production and standardization and ergonomics and scientific industrial design, one can try to nail these to WWII, but also as old as life. And sometimes it's controlled escalation as a way to reach your goals without triggering nuclear response, which one can nail to the Cold War.
American strategy of the Cold War is being used against world markets, ladies and gentlemen. Together with the previous two strategies mentioned.
The Soviet one was the opposite, to try to make even the smallest transgression cause firmly the same response, so that controlled escalation wouldn't work, but unfortunately one is founded in human psychology (plus game theory) and the other in rational knowledge (just game theory), the latter always loses. It was called scientific-technical revolution and meant literally its name - instead of gradual escalation, which favors the stronger side, you should create technical means to punch a fatal wound, nothing gradual.
So - the subscriptions themselves matter very little, they are just slowly transitioning everything big to dependence upon remote components available over the Internet.
It's funny, actually, so much gradual work, and in the end it'll be just wasted time - even making computers is not magic. State of the art processes could as well be that for most of humanity, but for many purposes Pentium MMX is a good enough computer, and such are not magic.
And especially making computer software of the kind that's being "metropolized" like this is not magic. Most of it is complex simply because of legacy, backwards compatibility and as a barrier for competitors making alternative implementations.
Linux, your time has finally come
All Microsoft had to do for Windows to remain the most popular home and office OS in the world for decades to come, was to just not fucking suck.
The problem is that they realized that they could do both.
Woahwoahwoah, let's not be unrealistic here.
But honestly I'm happy for the final push to Linux. I've been telling myself to make the change for a few years now but what's happening with AI training and side-loading / complete loss of privacy / general horrible vibes in the closed-source tech-sector..... Linux it is. I'm even ready for the learning curve. I grew up on dos, I'm sure I can find my way around it.
“While these mechanisms were often used to bypass Microsoft account setup, they also inadvertently skip critical setup screens, potentially causing users to exit OOBE with a device that is not fully configured for use.”
Lol sure. If that was the real reason they'd simply let you create a local account. The audacious lying is just insulting.
potentially causing users to exit OOBE with a device that is not fully configured for use
Oh no, onedrive not working or the office nagging screen missing in the start menu, how will we cope.
How will I survive without my doom dark ages ad in start menu and lock screen?
It's not lying if what they mean by "not fully configured for use" is that the private data being captured and sent to their servers is not fully matched to a personal identity in their systems.
After all, they didn't say whose "use" that device would not be configured for.
Still, if they were actually being honest, this would be easily solved if they showed those "critical setup screens" BEFORE asking to create the account, and based on what the user selected then they would allow (or not) the creation of a local account...
"It would bypass critical steps..."
Which step is that, data collection? Shoving OneDrive down my throat by putting my Desktop in it with no way to easily remove it?
collecting data, and training AI of course.
I am never abandoning you, Linux
I will be switching to Linux once my laptop is obsolete!!! I will only be getting Linux stuff from there on in!!! :-)
I can add that in my experience, switching to Linux tends to have a positive impact on performance and keep the laptop usable for longer, I highly recommend you try it with your current laptop.
You're going to immediately wonder why you waited so long.
If you have a drive where you can back up your stuff before installing a new OS, there's no need to wait.
Try Pop OS Cosmic (Like MacOS) and Linux Mint Cinnamon (Like Windows) they are both amazing. They are both customizable to look however you want too
Im running cosmic desktop on arch, its actually very good! I have enabled automatic tiling of windows and its just super convenient. Like a tiling window manager but with all the stuff most people want built-in (top bar, notifications, screenshots, screen sharing etc).
You cant customize it as much as a real tiling window manager but if all you want is for your windows to tile, its awesome.
I'm waiting for actual fire to start in my laptop before switching. I've had to do so many tricks to keep Win 7 going that I'm invested in keeping this thing going as long as possible. Plus all my porn is on it.
Don't plug to many, otherwise people might start jumping ship!
just making it easier to act like they don't even exist. I'll never, EVER get an account for MY computer.
I despise that I have to use this OS at work. I would never run windows on my own computer again. Its just insanity. Next they'll require a credit card to make a Microsoft account.
I could see them requiring government-issued ID. The age verification laws coming into effect in various states and countries make this a logical step for Microsoft. They might even start their own age verification service where you give them your ID and they vouch for your age with the sites you visit in Edge. Of course it would have the totally accidental side effect that everything you do on your computer could be monitored and legally tied to your identity.
its on our work computers, i believe windows 11 with all the BLOAT too.
Switched to Linux full time at the start of 2025 and haven't looked back. I fully intend to go the rest of my life without using windows again.
I've been using Linux exclusively for more than ten years. You've made the right choice. As if you needed anyone to tell you 😆
Same, I made the switch about 9 years ago when I was self-employed. Then I took a job with a small company running windows and it sucked. Now I'm 6 years in with my current, a mega corp, and they are all in on Microsoft. I've been so aggravated with the limitations of Microsoft products when I could get things done with a FOSS product in no time. Of course IT blocks FOSS installs because of corporate policy....🤬
If I was still a solo sysadmin, today I would be reevaluating the feasibility of dumping Windows altogether.
Technically it possible with using windows server edition ,clean no bloatware ,minimum processes Legally cost a lot not available for usual users only in crack way
Honestly I’m using Windows Enterprise. Local accounts, GPOs to get rid of all the telemetry and other bullshit. Never seen an ad in the start menu or any other place. Just nice clean windows. Basically it’s what companies use so that Microsoft doesn’t piss them off.
While yes, licensing them is a bitch, but a terminal server is a viable option
Dump windows. These megacorps need to fail.
Edit: I have only been using Linux for less than a year now, and right now, really is the perfect time to switch. I only held onto windows for gaming, and now I use bazzite. There are some games that don't have steam backup, but with the games that do, I can play the same save between my steamdeck and bazzite.
There is so much more you can do with linux and all it's distros. I've messed around with linux in the past, but never was patient enough to deal with it. Now it's really that easy.
Tbh I'm hoping the AI crash permanently kills most of the larger tech corps.
Where's the regulation that prevents this? Appalling.
One option is to install an older version and update after.
A better one is not use it because it's trash.
The hole they will never plug: Not using Windows.
In a few years If authoritarian shitholes keep fucking getting their way I can see using an "unverified/ untraceable OS" to be a "national security violation"
just give 'em time. it's still a bit early in the game for that play
I installed windows 11 a dozen time at work (never at home) and I just click on "domain login", it just creates a local account and then after the install I have to manually join the domain. No Microsoft account enforcement at all.
It's regular Windows 11, not Enterprise, we are a small company.
But I'm wondering, this bypass is too easy, is it because it sees that the DNS server is also an active directory server, so it allows that, or the trick is that you tell him you want to join a domain?
Or maybe it's a domain enrollment bug because we're using samba 4 under Debian as active directory server and not Windows server/entra id/whatever they call it this month?
I just click on “domain login”
It’s regular Windows 11, not Enterprise
You need to have 11 Pro or better to domain join a computer.
Your computer would also need to be joined to your domain to allow the login, so there is definitely some config going on that is not available to the typical home user.
I don't think they ever said they plan to require it for Windows Pro or above skus. It's only home (you know the one business shouldn't be using anyway) that they said they wanted to enforce it on.
They actually did a lot of mess with Pro as well. There has been a "watering down" of Pro since Windows 10 to make sure that they can still do their anticonsumer crap to users. I imagine they also are trying to push businesses to get Enterprise instead of picking up relatively easy/inexpensive Pro licenses.
Well I paid for what I have, and no one is allowed to rob me of what I pay for so I'm good. Sorry Microsoft you don't get to rob people any more than the rest of us. All it does is send people elsewhere.
Do custom installation (ISO) creation utilities like NTLite still allow you to remove the requirement?
I'm going to give Google money by buying a Pixel to free myself from Google…
Had to do that with Doom III in 2004. Old news.
It's not really a big deal, unless you're used to the freedom of Linux, which comes with it's own issues. If M$ ever truly forces me into a corner, I'm out. And they won't. Like Adobe allowing low-key piracy, they know they need the vast user base to remain relevant.
it is a big deal, because they are deceiving and taking advantage of so many people
upgraded to 11 for free from win2k? dual boot linux and just running updates and rebooting the win11 every few months. paid $100 for win2k a long time ago. stupid giant passkey license, no thanks. got a free account and switched to digital at some point.
Is this what they mean when they say "stream of consciousness"?
edit: Fix ironic typo.
Use Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC, problem solved.
Or, you know, that other thing.
just use that one thing that works right now
He said in response to an article about how they are perpetually reducing the amount of things that work right now
I doubt they'll risk alienating their enterprise costumers, but sure, they could make IoT account-only.
In that case just switch to Linux already.
How many months away are we from Windows requiring a subscription to use, with a cheaper version for the OS + Office and a more expensive that also bundles AI?
Funny thing is, I would have paid for a more expensive version that's just the core OS and minimalist set of tools (and by tools I mean explorer, task manager, and maybe a browser to download firefox or something else).
Now? I'm happy to tell people "nope, can't help you, I don't do MS stuff anymore".
I'm predicting after Windows 11 EOL.
That's why they're so adamant about killing Windows 10. They want to lock everyone in an OS that will have N eventual expiration
iirc, they did do a limited regional test of subscription windows back sometime during win7.
At this point I just net user /add it, which just creates the user manually and then you can reboot and just log into it.
It's not like you need anything from the OOBE at all, so might as well just skip it entirely.
I decided to make a customs iso. Not too difficult to do. Just add a unattended.xml file and boot and be done.
Germans got us covered:
https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/
Some crap I still have a Windows VM. Combine this with ShutUp10 for blocking telemetry.
Doesn’t stop me from using Windows 11 as much as I want.
Which is none.
You’re not required for work? Damn, lucky you
I could probably make more money getting a job where I have to use Windows but honestly it wouldn’t be worth it.
My work offers alternatives.
But even if, my work laptop is just something I remote on from my desktop and switch around seemlessly.
Glad I found one and used it. If I didn't need Windows for my classes, I'd be on Linux already.
I found it because the wifi was stuck off and if I couldn't turn it on unless I set up windows... Which dumbly requires internet.
So once that comes to pass, someone in my situation would be SOL.
What classes require windows? You can run most things in Linux. And for the cases where my classes had instructions on how to set up something on Windows, for Linux and MacOS they just had a foot note saying "You are on your own". But nothing was mandatory.
The workarounds people come up with to not make an MS account seem crazy to me. What difference does it really make if its a local account or not? You are still using windows so clearly you are ok with everything else, but the account is too much?
I shouldn't need to have an internet connection to login to my desktop.
Using a Microsoft cloud account to log into my local computer means Microsoft owns credentials to a device in my house, and if they get hacked (which they do, all the fucking time), my device is less secure because of it and my data is less secure because of it.
There's absolutely no need for my copy of Windows to require me to login using a cloud-based account.
You can use all manner of apps to disable the telemetry and privacy nonsense that people have issues with Windows about (and I similarly find Microsoft's privacy-last approach to be tedious), but if your computer requires you to use a cloud account to log in, then your computer is susceptible to that cloud account being hijacked or hacked and Microsoft has given absolutely no good reason for this to be the case.
Logging in to a Microsoft account doesn't provide any real benefit to the user at all, the best you can say is that you're not prompted to log in again if you run the Microsoft Store or the Xbox app, and that's not a compelling benefit.
I don't have a personal Microsoft account, and have no desire to create one more account, but am required by my organisation to use 1 Windows-only software for 2 hours every week. As such, I run that in a Windows VM on my computer, and this doesn't seem like it'd be worth the effort of making a MS account
Well, at least in 10, the username is something dumb and you can't change it during creation (or everywhere easily after creation) when doing an online account. But linking after you create your account let you set it to whatever. So there may be people who are fine with online accounts but just want to set their usernames to whatever.
Is this about Windows Home edition? I don't need to do anything hacky to get a local account but I also don't use Home edition.
I am horrified by what computers have become, from expensive magical tools to solve real problems, to ubiquitous shit-shoveling malware appliances controlled by some of the worst elements of society.
Those kinds of computers still exist, it's called Linux.
I've never been more appreciative than I am now of the decades of effort that have gone into building this free and open-source operating system.
Imagine if we were here in 2025, with all the incumbent operating systems going to shit, but in a world where Linux didn't exist and there was no alternative that wasn't owned by a tech giant.
I don't even want to imagine.
Hmmm, I wonder which background economical system we all live in that could explain why every single technology ends up controlled by the top 1% to make our lives more miserable and their profits higher...
The future was here, once upon a time.
🎶 The dream of the 90's is alive in Linux🎶
and still expensive